Campfire cooking can be a great way to add another dimension of enjoyment and excitement to any camping trip. If you know how to start a fire and keep it going, you are halfway to creating a great meal using little more than what you already find out in nature. Few tastes compare to that of a food cooked over an open fire. If done correctly, campfire cooking can also be nutritious and you can make a well-balanced meal out of it. If you have never cooked on a campfire or if you are just looking for some extra hints to make your campfire better, these tips will help to make your next cookout one of the best parts of your trip.

Components of a respectable campfireThe most essential component of any successful campfire cookout is to get a great fire going. In order to do this, you will need to be both resourceful and safe to avoid any accidents. First, pick the ideal location for your fire. Inspect the ground where you plan to build the fire. Your first choice should be to build the campfire in an already established fire pit. If this is not possible, try to find a bare area of dirt and dig a small hole in which to burn the fire. Make sure there are not any low-lying branches or other things that could easily catch on fire within 30 feet.

Next, make sure that the area where you are building the campfire is not very windy. Any winds that range from medium to strong could be dangerous and cause some embers to catch nearby leaves and trees on fire.

In addition to this, the coals will have less cooking time because of the blowing wind. If you cannot find proper shelter from the wind for you campfire, it would be best to postpone the fire until the wind dies down.

Wood is also important for any campfire cooking activity. Try to find dried wood in the area for the best results. Dry wood creates a much cleaner and hotter fire for cooking. If you cannot find sufficient dry wood, try packing the wood tightly or ask the campsite officials if they have a supply of firewood that you can use.

If you build it correctly, it will cookIdeally, you will want the wood that you use to turn into coals simultaneously. If you can make this happen, you have less of a risk of flames burning your foods while not cooking the inside of the food properly. This also helps you have more time for cooking the food because the coals and the wood will stay heated much longer.

To set up the fire area, you will first need kindling. Kindling is generally small sticks that will catch on fire easily and it will burn longer to catch the bigger pieces of wood on fire as well. Dead branches work best for this type of material, but most small sticks will work almost as well. Fill the fire area with crumpled papers in a crisscross pattern. After you are satisfied with your setup, light one of the pieces of paper to start the fire burning.

When the kindling catches on fire and is burning well, begin adding small pieces of actual firewood. Try to use similar sizes of firewood for best results. Spread it out evenly, too, for a larger area of cooking rather than a concentrated area of the fire pit. Allow the wood to burn until the flame dies down. The coals should turn white which will be your heating surface. If you like, you can then spread out the coals to create different “heat settings” – more coals in the high heat area and fewer coals in the low heat area.

Now you’re cookingWhen the coals have turned white and you have spread to coals according to your preferred temperature settings, you are ready to lay the grill over the area. Make sure you have rocks or wet logs on either side of the cooking area for the grill to rest on. You can then set the food on top of the grill, either in cookware or directly on the grill. Make sure you have a bucket of water readily available in case the fire begins to burn out of control. Also, have a spray bottle handy so you can spray flames that begin to pop up through the coals. When the fire begins to die down, use a stick to put the coals together in a small pile to preserve the maximum amount of heat for cooking the last of the food.

Vegetables make a great campfire recipeIf you want to have a healthy meal cooked by the campfire, vegetables make an ideal dinner.

Find a long stick in the woods that you can use for poking through a variety of vegetables. Make sure they are cubed or at least cut into smaller pieces before putting them on the stick. Squash, zucchini and green peppers are great for cooking over the fire, but the ones you use are based solely on your individual preferences. If you have spices and tin foil, you can combine the vegetables with the spices and then wrap them in tin foil so the taste soaks into the vegetables as they cook.

Hot dogs are always a great option

If you just want an easy dinner using campfire cooking techniques, hot dogs are a great option. Put the hot dog on a sturdy stick and just hold it over the fire until it is cooked according to the way you like it. If you forgot to bring hot dog buns, don’t worry. Hot dogs are just as good without them.

You can’t forget the snacksA meal with campfire cooking would not be complete without making the traditional s'mores. This favorite snack is simple. Roast a marshmallow over the campfire until it is warm and soft to your preference. Place the cooked marshmallow on a graham cracker and top it off with a piece of chocolate. Then place one more graham cracker on the top to make a type of sandwich. You simply cannot leave your camping trip without making s'mores.

Another snack favorite when camping out is chocolate bananas. If you have bananas, chocolate and tin foil, you can make this delicious snack. Place the banana on a stick and sprinkle melted chocolate over it. Wrap it in tin foil and roast it over the campfire. For more enjoyment, try both of these snacks for a truly memorable campfire cooking experience.

Whether you are camping with a group of friends or with you family, campfire cooking is an essential part of the “roughing it” experience. Knowing how to create a hot fire for cooking the food effectively is the most essential part of any meal you have while camping. Nothing can ruin a meal quicker than biting into some undercooked meat or, worse yet, not being able to get a fire started at all. Follow the proper techniques for both safety and starting a campfire in order to ensure that your next camping meal turns out to be a positive experience.

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